


Grophet's Gambit - Connections

by DancingHare



Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-23
Updated: 2018-03-23
Packaged: 2019-04-06 23:39:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14068092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DancingHare/pseuds/DancingHare
Summary: Kazta has doubts about some of the crew.





	Grophet's Gambit - Connections

Kazta hesitated as she typed up her report of the Rishi operation. Normally they were exhaustive, including every last detail she could remember. But she was well aware that she was dealing with some elements that wouldn’t sit well with command. It wasn’t lying, exactly, but omission of information, and it made her feel just as unsettled. Hopefully no one would notice what she’d left out, she strongly suspected many of her reports were just skimmed over anyway. Despite what the crew might think of her, she wasn’t just some mindless droid following orders, she had bent the rules before. Not often, of course, but whenever she felt it was necessary, and in the end her instincts usually turned out to be correct. Kazta was starting to wonder, though, just how far things could bend before they snapped.

Three potential Imperial spies — that’s the ones she was aware of. The chiss out in the desert on Tattooine — the very planet where the operation was rumored to be based. The cyborg captain who’d approached them in the cantina, and now the girl with a highly-evolved AI droid equipped for combat. It seemed clear to Kazta that these had to be no coincidence, but a concerted effort on behalf of the Empire to gain knowledge of their mission. After Rishi, they certainly were aware of the crew’s existence, and their attempts to interfere. Why wouldn’t they try to nip such a threat, no matter how small, in the bud? It wasn’t paranoia, it was simply being aware of danger. Running into something blind was a sure way to have it go sideways. Smugglers, of all people, should know better than to blindly trust everyone they meet. So why had Shani been so quick to trust, and insist that Kazta do so as well? Trust was proven through actions, in Kazta’s opinion. Words were just words, she’d learned that lesson first-hand, but actions spoke for themselves. She was going to keep a close eye on those two, no matter what the twi’lek said. As if on queue, the little chip on the crate beside Kazta chirped twice, then fell silent again. It was Theo’s biometric monitor, alerting her to any changes in his respiration, heartrate, or any number of other body systems. Kazta hadn’t actually wanted to have to watch it, but Shani insisted that she take it, she supposed as some sort of proof that Theo wasn’t planning to betray their crew. She doubted such motives would reveal themselves so easily, but it was sort of interesting nonetheless. He’d been trained with the Imperial army, but said he defected. Her search of his records had backed this up, but records could be falsified. The girl worried her much more, she was force capable. While Kazta had successfully faced Sith before, they were still formidable and clever enemies, and could bend the tide of combat into their favor — as well as cause you to see things that weren’t really there. If things turned bad against a force user, they could get worse very quickly. Yet Shani scoffed at the idea that either of them could be dangerous, that Kazta should just trust them and give them a chance. She suspected the twi’lek was only saying what she wanted to hear, but she grudgingly agreed — for the time being. Kazta decided not to mention them in her report, but she was still keeping a close eye on both of them. And perhaps, on Shani as well.

She had pledged her life to the Republic and its causes, was certain that one day she would die for it. Kazta didn’t fear it, but neither did she want to hasten its arrival.

Kazta turned off her recorder and rose from her seat, her leg giving a twinge of complaint as she did so. Kif, the medic, still snored on one of the nearby bunks. That night he’d been the Kif she had known those years ago — drinking too much and acting foolish. Thankfully he hadn’t got up to dance on the bar, but he’d wandered off into a planter and she and Theo had to carry him back to the shuttle. He hadn’t even woken when they dumped him onto the bunk, and she was sure he’d be out until late the following morning. She’d just have to get her kolto injection herself.


End file.
